Viola Wood

Rock Rapids, IA Viola Wood, age 88 of Cedar Falls, IA formerly of Rock Rapids, IA died Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2012 at the Elizabeth Martin Health Center in Cedar Falls. Funeral service will be 1:00 p.m. Friday, September 14, 2012 at Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids, IA with Rev. Mark Hansen officiating. Burial will follow at Riverview Cemetery in Rock Rapids. Viola W. Wood was born July 9, 1924 to Dell A. and Margret (Robinson) Woodburn in Rock Rapids, IA. Viola finished 12 years of school at Rock Rapids High School. She worked as a telephone operator in Rock Rapids until 1943. Viola then traveled to Glendale, CA with Dick and Lil Henry to work for Lockheed Aircraft as a switchboard operator. Viola met Charles R. Wood at a USO dance and married Chuck in Glendale, CA on September 10, 1946. A daughter was born to Chuck and Viola, Catherine K. Wood on October 10, 1948. Catherine died on February 7, 1949. Over the years of marriage they were in the Army and traveled to Kansas, Fairbanks Alaska (during the Russian Cold War), El Paso, Texas where Vi was a Civil Service Clerk, also to Mlaundshikt, Germany (in Hitlers Eagles Nest) where Vi served as government CIA top secret secretary. Chuck was a tank Commander in Germany during the war and received a Purple Heart. Returning to the States they resided in New Jersey at Fort Dix Base from 1957-1981. Viola was Commissary Secretary to Officer and was then promoted to Purchasing and Contracting Agent in 1974. She retired in 1981. Chuck retired two years prior in 1979 as a Lt. Colonel. Their retirement was much of the ocean life, motorhome and traveling to Florida for summers. They resided in Leisure Town South Hampton on a 30 foot houseboat on the ocean side of New Jersey. She lost her husband Charles R. Wood who passed away on February 8, 1985 of Cancer. After his death she remained in Leisure Town New Jersey. She enjoyed friends there until March 26, 2009. After hospitalization time Mike and Connie Harris brought her back to Cedar Falls, Iowa where she resided at the Elizabeth Martin Community until her passing on September 11, 2012. Viola is survived by one brother, Donald Woodburn of Federal Way, WA; niece, Connie (Mike) Harris of Cedar Falls, IA; nephews, Donald (Marilyn) Henry of Webster City, IA, Robert (Nancy) Henry of Bloomington, IN, Bill and wife Woodburn of Estes Park, CO, and Rick Woodburn of Broomfield, CO; and many close friends of forty years, Mary Pullen, John and Janet Lenart and family; Walt and Virginia Gordon; and the Rutchau family. She was preceded in death by husband, Charles R. Wood; daughter, Catherine Wood; father Dell Woodburn; mother, Margret Woodburn; brother, Waldo Woodburn; brother, Pat Woodburn; and sister, Lillian Henry. Family wishes memorials be directed to Wounded Warriors.